Amputee Denise Castelli earns role as ball girl at U.S. Open

John O'Boyle/The Star-LedgerDenise Castelli will be a U.S. Open ball girl after she had her leg amputated in November 2009.

Denise Castelli imagines herself in the middle of the action at Arthur Ashe Stadium six weeks down the road, working the U.S. Open finals as a ball girl. It was difficult, though, to find the right words for what being there would mean for her and the communities she represents.

“I know it would mean a lot for the amputee community and the community of people with disabilities,” she said, “to show everyone that we’re more than capable of doing things, even though it might be a little different.”

As far as John Korff is concerned, the Netcong native is indeed capable. Korff, director at large on the United States Tennis Association’s board of directors, said yesterday that Castelli had been chosen as a ball girl for the upcoming U.S. Open.

Tina Taps, the U.S. Open’s director of ball persons, was most impressed by Castelli’s arm strength, which she displayed again yesterday in a second round of tryouts in Flushing Meadows. Castelli was a former softball player at the University of New Haven.

“She’s got a shotgun of an arm,” Taps said. “She’s fully capable of throwing the ball the full length of the tennis court.”

Castelli will begin her work as a ball girl with a training session before U.S. Open qualification begins Aug. 22. Taps said she will likely work most of her time behind the baseline because of her arm strength.

If Castelli does well in the qualification rounds, she’ll move up to regular duty in the tournament.
“I think she’s fully capable of doing that,” Taps said.

Taps said more than 500 candidates came out on a rainy June 23 in the first round of tryouts. From there, the U.S. Open decided on about 120 to call back for a second round of tryouts. From there, between 70 and 80 are selected to work.

Castelli’s selection continues her remarkable journey back from the broken leg she suffered in an April 2008 softball game that led to her amputation. It’s a journey she hopes leads to a grand stage in late August.

“It would be a huge accomplishment for me, personally,” Castelli said. “Because from where I was a year and a half ago to where I am now, it’s so drastically different.”